advertisement

---

Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) will host two meetings next week to provide information and solicit public comments on the latest developments in the Virginia Beach Transit Extension Study.

The study is examining the benefits and impacts of four possible alternatives along the proposed alignments, including: extending The Tide light-rail service; expanding existing local bus service; building a bus rapid transit system; or doing nothing, HRT officials said in a prepared statement.

The study will attempt to determine the best possible transit use for a former freight-rail right of way that runs parallel to Interstate 264 from Newtown Road to Birdneck Road. The corridor under study also extends beyond Birdneck Road to the Oceanfront at 19th Street. Shorter options under consideration include a corridor between Newtown and Rosemont areas and between Newtown and Lynnhaven.

The meetings, scheduled for Feb. 25 and 28, will review how high-capacity transit services could be incorporated into the Hilltop area through the Laskin Road/First Colonial Road vicinity as part of the study. The public will be asked to provide input on how access to the Hilltop area could be achieved from the original alignment and where passenger stations might be located, HRT officials said.